The Way She Should Go
by Umeko Tsumagoi
Summary: —Oneshot— While battling Haruka at the Pokemon League, it suddenly occurs to Daigo that... Sequel to "Rising Star." Gamebased, Daigo x Haruka —Steven x May—.


Author's Note: This is literally the first fic I've written in two whole years so it probably sucks. But due to certain circumstances I was suddenly motivated to write some DaiHaru tonight!

Here is the long-awaited (has anyone been waiting for this?) sequel to "Rising Star"! You know, that one I've been saying I'd write for about five years now? Yeah, that one.

A Daigo/Haruka (Steven/May) oneshot which takes place directly after "Rising Star." I suppose this stands on its own well enough, so it's not absolutely necessary to read "Rising," but hey, whatever. Though it does give a little bit of insight to certain things in "Sleepless Night," so if you're interested, take a look at that afterword. As usual, I'm using the Japanese names for human characters and English names for everything else. DEAL WITH IT. :D

Disclaimer: Pokemon ≠ mine.

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><p><strong>The Way She Should Go<strong>

_Challenger Haruka of Littleroot Town has defeated Elite Four Kagetsu. Continuing to room number two..._

_Challenger Haruka of Littleroot Town has defeated Elite Four Fuyou. Continuing to room number three..._

_Challenger Haruka of Littleroot Town has defeated Elite Four Prim. Continuing to room number four..._

Daigo pays little attention to the digital marquee mounted on the Champion Room wall. His eyes only dart over to it when he sees the message has changed, taking note of the challenger's progress. He already knows what the results of the battles will be; he is well aware of the girl's strength, and is confident that she will be able to reach him. As for his own battle with her, however...

Tsuwabuki Daigo, too emotional towards his protégée, wants to pace the room nervously. The League Champion keeps his feet firmly rooted to the floor.

Tsuwabuki Daigo wonders if he'll be able to defeat such a talented young girl. The League Champion has no intention to lose the battle.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees that the message on the marquee has changed again.

_Challenger Haruka of Littleroot Town has defeated Elite Four Genji. Continuing to the Champion Room..._

He debates whether to greet the girl with Daigo's kind, welcoming smile, or with the Champion's hard, steely gaze.

Haruka makes that decision for him when she enters the room moments later. She stops short in her tracks, and her eyes widen—those vast, blue eyes, through which Daigo feels he can see the entire world. He sees hope, surprise, confusion, betrayal...

"Daigo... san...?"

The kinder Daigo has won out for a moment, and he smiles warmly at her. He says some words of welcome and congratulations—he doesn't register exactly what comes out of his mouth, and he worries that he's letting his emotions get the better of him.

But then those blue eyes change, and he can see confidence and fighting spirit, and he knows that he doesn't have to worry. She came prepared to face not Tsuwabuki Daigo, but the Hoenn League Champion.

And the Hoenn League Champion is prepared to meet her challenge full force.

The battle moves both too slow and too fast for Daigo's liking. He wants to savor this momentous battle, but their attacks are a blur, the two trainers' fighting instincts taking over. He is eager to see how Haruka has improved, to determine how she measures up to himself, but time seems to be standing still, and the battle has no end in sight.

At some point during the battle, however, he is struck by a sudden realization.

The trainer battling him isn't the little 13-year-old girl he saw such potential in years earlier. She's not the child he met then, lost and trying to navigate her way through Dewford Cave.

She orders an Overheat attack from her Ninetales. Her fingers, long and graceful, brush her bangs from her eyes. They're no longer the tiny, trembling things that carefully offered a letter to him.

The flames knock out his Aggron, and she grins, an elegant glow alighting her face. It's different from the youthful flush that so often accompanied her unguarded smiles, and the shape of her face is now more gentle and dignified, replacing the baby fat of childhood.

She isn't the child he had guided and watched over for the past two years.

On the opposite side of the battlefield stands a talented young woman, bravely facing what she knows is her future, her life.

He is at the disadvantage in terms of remaining Pokemon, and he knows well enough that he isn't likely to win at this point, but the sudden awareness he has of Haruka's growth brings him such delight that he can't help but smile.

What a joy to witness such a promising child mature to her full potential!

And once his final Pokemon is down, and he gazes across at her, she seems radiant with refinement and glory, and that's when Daigo knows.

He is in love with the woman who stands before him.

Daigo is calm as he calls his Metagross back into its Pokeball, but his mind is spinning. His mouth forms words as he congratulates Haruka on her victory, but his head doesn't grasp their meaning.

She gazes up at him, those blue eyes beaming with joy, and suddenly she looks so young again. His stomach drops like a rock, but Daigo offers her his hand to guide her into the Hall of Fame room, and he is both thrilled and dismayed by the fond smile Haruka gives him.

He drops her hand when Yuuki and Professor Odamaki suddenly enter the room, and the fact that he felt it was necessary drives the point home all the more.

He loves her, but he shouldn't.

He sees Haruka glancing at him as she chats with Yuuki, before looking away shyly. The pieces begin to fall together.

She also cares for him, but she shouldn't.

He looks at his hand, which had been holding hers just moment ago. His hand, calloused from digging for so many rocks.

Even if he could justify the age difference, Haruka deserves so much better. He shouldn't be encouraging such a thing, but he has.

He looks up again when Haruka finishes speaking with the Professor, and smiles at her, suggesting that they go to record her name into the Hall of Fame.

This young woman has taken her first step into glory, but she still has so much ahead of her, Daigo knows.

So he decides that, for the moment, he'll continue to watch over her.

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><p>I'm not terribly satisfied with that ending, so I may edit it a bit later, but for now, I hope you at least somewhat enjoyed reading this!<p> 


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